Oblivious
by LinkehCrescent
Summary: Can Rachel possibly be as self centered as she seems? She wants attention, but what happens when she gets it from the last person she would expect? Kurt/Rachel T for later chapters.
1. Chapter 1

Rachel Berry was a very oblivious, very self centered person. The only people she noticed were her competition. She didn't have 'friends'. She didn't feel the need to pay attention to other people.

All she wanted was for people to pay attention to her, but when they did, she never even noticed.

She stood backstage after Glee, looking over the new costume Mercedes had designed for her.

Ugh, it was way too big, again. She bet that the other girl did it out of spite.

Practice had ended a half an hour ago, so she wasn't expecting him to walk in.

"Staring at yourself again?" Kurt asked sharply, standing in the doorway with his arms crossed.

"Hm?" Rachel replied, turning her head and gripping the fabric around her. "Oh, it's you."

It's you. What a great way to be greeted. He let out an irritable sigh. "Do you want some help with that?"

"Help?" she asked, a bit shocked. She couldn't ever remember talking to this boy before. She had never even seen him before Glee.

He nodded, talking slowly like she couldn't understand him. "Yes. That's obviously too big on you."

"Um, sure?" She gasped at how quickly he came up behind her, cinching the fabric together in the back with a safety pin.

"Better?" he asked, not looking.

"Mhm," Rachel replied. Wow, this really did look good, now that it was the right size. Kudos, Mercedes!

She looked into the mirror, not seeing him behind her anymore. "Kurt?"

"Yes?" he answered from across the room, digging around in his designer bag for his kit. He was behind her again in moments.

Geez he's graceful, Rachel thought, blinking. She watched him concentrate on fixing her outfit.

Unlike Mercedes, he never even pricked her once.

"I didn't realize you could sew," she admitted.

He didn't even look up at her. "You don't realize a lot of things."

Her brown eyes widened. "Like what?"

He didn't answer her question. "There."

She stood, turning around to examine the back. She couldn't even tell where he'd sewn it up. "Um, thanks."

"Whatever," he replied, already on the other side of the room.

Rachel watched him sling his bag over his shoulder and place his news boy hat on his head, checking his hair quickly in the nearest mirror before heading out the door.

"Hey, Kurt!" she called, turning around.

"What?" he responded, stopping to look at her.

"Why are you still here?" she asked, curious.

She could've sworn she saw his eyes harden.

"Like I would tell you," he spat, before storming out the door, leaving her there to wonder what the heck was going on.


	2. Chapter 2

The next day, Mercedes nabbed her in the hallway, pulling her to the side so they could speak without being run over by the hundreds of students rushing to get to class.

"Did you try your costume on again?" Mercedes asked Rachel, giving her that signature glare.

"I did!" Rachel replied, a polite smile across her face.

"And?" Mercedes persisted, looking at her expectantly. "How did it fit _this_ time?"

"Oh, it fit perfectly, thanks!" Rachel told her, smoothing down her pencil skirt. The other girl looked appalled.

"It fit?!" she repeated.

"Yep. Thanks again!" Rachel walked away, waving over her shoulder. Aha. So the girl _had_ been out to get her. She should have known it all along! Good thing Kurt had been there!

Speaking of, she didn't think she had seen the guy all day. Not like she really would have noticed him, but still. She needed to honestly thank him now, for more than just fixing her clothes. Oh well, she could always talk to him at Glee that afternoon. Not that big of a deal.

Rachel walked in to the auditorium at the end of the day, singing lightly to herself to warm up her voice. She was so wrapped up in her own little world that she wouldn't have even noticed him if he hadn't have said something.

"Hello, princess," Kurt greeted her. He stood to the side of the stage, already all changed and ready.

Rachel stopped to chat. "Hey, I just want to thank you again for your help with my outfit! Turns out Mercedes purposefully made it to big, the jealous little—"

Kurt shook his head. "Don't mention it."

She tilted her head curiously. "I just wanted to thank you again…," she mumbled innocently.

"No, seriously. Do _not_ mention it." He stormed off stage without giving her another look.

Well, that was a little harsh! And to think, she was just trying to be polite! Her eyes darkened as she stomped back stage, quickly changing for rehearsal. The nerve of some people!

Practice went well, and time seemed to fly by. She didn't even think about Kurt again until she spotted her costume, hanging in the closet with the others.

"That boy!" she muttered, slamming the closet door shut. "I'm really going to give him a piece of my mind!"

"Who, me?" He seemed to appear from no where. Again ,he was standing in the door way, arms crossed.

"Yes, you!" she said rather angrily. "What was up with you earlier? I was just trying to be _polite_, but maybe you don't have the ability to grasp that!"

"Oh, I do," he replied smoothly. "I just didn't want anyone to know that I helped you."

"Why? So you can retain your image as a stuck up pretty boy?"

He smiled at her. Kurt Hummel had just smiled at _her_. She didn't know if she had ever actually seen him smile before.

"Maybe," he told her. "Or maybe I just don't want you to ruin _your _reputation of being the most hated girl in school. I mean, that must have taken a lot. People throw me in dumpsters, but I'm still not as hated as you are, Rachel Berry."

Her jaw dropped. She couldn't believe it. Was he really speaking to _her_ in that tone? No one dared anger her. No one, apparently, but Kurt.

"Whatever," she huffed, turning away.

By the time she looked back at the doorway, he was already gone.


	3. Chapter 3

Rachel arrived home moments later. She hadn't said anything to either of her dads the whole ride, ignoring their attempts at conversation. She was the first one through the door when they arrived at their quaint, suburban home, and ran to her room to be alone.

"How dare he talk to _me_ like that!" she repeated for the millionth time, flopping down on her bed and folding her hands over her stomach. She sniffled, tears welling up in her beautiful brown eyes.

Why did it have to be true? Why did it all have to be true? Why did everyone hate her?

She rolled over, burying her face in her pillow as she cried.

Why did Kurt Hummel have to be right?

As she walked towards the school the next day, she glanced over at the dumpster, thinking she might have heard something. She stopped in her tracks when she saw most of the football team, Finn excluded, gathered around one lone boy.

Ever since Finn had joined Glee, the football players had gone back to picking on the Glee kids with a vengeance. They didn't like that one of their own had been converted. Rachel guessed that they were a little scared, scared that they would be next. Stupid boys.

Rachel would have felt sorry for them, but she had woken up that morning to a house covered in toilet paper.

She watched as Kurt yelled at them, watched as anger and fear colored his face. These guys just never let up, did they?

He glanced over in her direction, spotting her. She hurried away, feeling his blue eyes on her even after she heard the splat of another item being added to the already overflowing dumpster.

In her rush to get in the building, she walked right into none other than Quinn Fabray, who was chatting it up with her boyfriend. The cheerleader turned around, eyes widening with disgust.

"Ew," she muttered, seeing Rachel. "Thanks a lot. Now I'm going to have to throw this outfit away."

The group of cheerleaders that always seemed to be by her side snickered madly. Rachel looked up at Finn, blushing heavily. He shrugged helplessly. Like he would do something about the injustice that was happening right in front of his face.

She walked away quickly and quietly, hearing the other girls' laughter all the way down the hallway. Tears formed in her eyes, but she swiftly dabbed them away. No reason to ruin her makeup over something so silly.

Her morning classes went by slowly. It seemed to be days before the second lunch bell rang, dismissing the sophomores and freshmen to lunch. Rachel got up, following the crowd into the lunch room. She got her food like she did every day before sitting down at a table, by herself.

She looked around, seeking out everyone else. Artie, Mercedes, and Tina all sat with their little groups of friends. Each of them _had_ friends, and she just didn't understand. She looked around for Kurt and found him sitting by himself, picking at his food, but not eating. He looked bored.

Rachel got up from the table, her chair scraping against the linoleum as she pushed it back, before picking her tray up and moving to sit across from Kurt.

He didn't look up at her as she sat down, not even after she cleared her throat.

She blinked. Had he always been like this? "I didn't realize you were a sophomore," she told him, trying to keep her tone polite.

"We've been in the same grade since kindergarten," he informed her, voice emotionless as he speared a green pea and slid it into his mouth.

Wrinkles appeared on her forehead as she processed this new information. "Really?"

"Yup." He rolled his eyes. "Maybe if you had your head out of the clouds, you would've realized that." He motioned around the cafeteria with one hand. "Do you know the names of even half these people?"

"Well, um… there's…." She looked around worriedly before sighing. "I guess you've got a point there."

He rested his chin on his hand, looking at her for the first time since that morning. "Why are you over here, Rachel Berry? Don't you have better things to do? Blackmailing teachers or something?"

There it was, that tone. It made her very blood boil. She spluttered for a comeback, but couldn't think of anything. Instead she resigned to glaring at him while she took a bite of her hamburger.

She didn't know why she was over here. She knew that. He knew that. And it was humiliating.

"Soo…," she began, searching for something to say, something to break the awkward silence. "Glee's going good."

He nodded his head just barely enough for it to be classified as a nod, looking back down at his tray. "Seems that way."

"Finn's really getting better, isn't he?"

He snorted in reply.

Oh that was right. Kurt hated Finn. In fact, as far as she knew, Kurt hated everyone, including her.

She studied him for a few moments before he got up and walked away, dumping his tray. He didn't come back to the table.

A few minutes later, the bell rang.


	4. Chapter 4

There wasn't any Glee that day, so Rachel went straight home. She opened up her purple laptop and pressed the on button, drumming her fingers impatiently against the table as she waited for it to start up.

In a few minutes it had whirred to life and she was signing on to MySpace, her mind already made up on what song she was going to sing today. Defying Gravity from Wicked sounded pretty dang perfect.

It had been a few days since she had posted a video. Yesterday she had been uh, preoccupied, and this Kurt thing had been bothering her since it started. So she was surprised when there was a little red box to the left side of the screen, telling her that she had a new message.

She moved the mouse and clicked on the words curiously. It couldn't be the Cheerios tearing her apart. There weren't any new videos for them to comment on, and she had already seen all the old comments.

Needless to say, she was _very_ surprised to see that she had a message from Kurt. She didn't even know that she was friends with him on MySpace!

Rachel opened up the title-less message, reading through it quickly. It was short, blunt, and sounded like the way Kurt talked. He was asking her why she hadn't put a video up. She could sense the smugness behind it, like he knew that he was the reason she had missed the past two days.

Well, she wasn't going to respond to him. See how he liked that! She did, however, glance up at his profile picture, barely recognizing him. He was in a tux and holding a black fedora in front of his face. A very show-ish pose. She liked it.

Ten minutes later her video was up and she was left with nothing to do. She could wait around for the cheer leaders to smash her singing, or she could get up and do something productive.

She got up, closing the lid of the laptop, before walking away.

Rachel woke up early the next day. She ate breakfast and dressed quickly, getting to school fifteen minutes earlier than normal. There was barely anyone there when she was dropped off.

She quickly moved to an empty wooden picnic table a few feet away from the dumpster, sitting her backpack down before dusting off the seat. She didn't want to get anything on her outfit, after all.

The sophomore girl didn't have to wait long. Kurt walked by her five minutes later, head held high even though he knew what was coming.

"Hey Kurt!" she called, standing up. He turned, blue eyes seeming to seer through her.

He didn't greet her with any more than his usual, "What do _you_ want?"

"Um, um." What was she going to say? She hadn't thought this far ahead! She grabbed her stuff and walked over him. "Hey."

He raised an eyebrow at her. "I believe you've already said that." He gave her that 'what the heck is _wrong_ with you?' look that she got from every other girl in the school on a daily basis.

She shrugged, trying to cover up her blunder. "Why do you walk this way?" she asked him.

"It's the shortest way," he said simply, not looking at her anymore.

"But if you walked around, you wouldn't get bothered by the football players."

He let out a little snort. "I'm not going to go out of my way for them. That's degrading."

"And getting thrown in the dumpster isn't?" she shot back, her eyes never leaving him. She was polite. She looked at the person she was talking to.

"Touché," he mumbled, and she thought she saw a smile play across his face for a moment. "You still put videos up on MySpace."

"Yes, of course!" she replied, not making the connection. "That's because fame is the most important thing in this world! My talent needs to be out there for the world to see!"

He rolled his eyes. Sometimes, she really was too peppy. "But you know that every video you put up is going to get smashed by the…" He seemed to struggle with the next word, and spat it out. "_Cheerios._"

"I'm not going to change for… oh." Rachel realized she was repeating what Kurt had just said. Neither of them was going to change for anybody else, no matter how much pain they had to go through. They were their own people, and others just couldn't understand. "I see."

"Good," he replied, cutting his eyes over at her. "You're trying to save me, aren't you?"

"Save you?" she replied innocently, acting if she had no idea what he was talking about. "What do you mean?"

He sighed. "You think that they're not going to bother me if you're here." He considered it for a moment. "You're _really_ that full of yourself, aren't you?"

Darn it. Found out. "Of course not!" she insisted, trying to play the innocent card. "Sorry for just wanting to _talk_!"

Kurt rolled his eyes, and she noticed that his pace quickened as he walked by the dumpster. She had expected this, and stayed right by his side. Either she was right, or they just didn't feel up to throwing him in the dumpster that morning. Or maybe they were just saving all their spite for later.

You could never tell with jocks.


	5. Chapter 5

Author's Note: Hey all! I just want to thank you all for sticking with me this long. There's going to be lots of Oblivious yet to come. 3 I'm not really used to ff yet, and that's why I've never thought to put one of these in before. I just want to say that when you're done reading this, click the little review button! I love to hear your thoughts and comments and everything is much appreciated, even if it's just you saying how much you don't thin Kurt and Rachel could ever be together. XD Thanks again, and now we have Oblivious, Chapter 5.

----------------

The two entered the school building amidst a crowd of other people. Rachel looked over at Kurt only to find that he was no longer beside her. She didn't even get to say good bye, but she didn't really know why she would _want_ to. It was just Kurt.

Sighing, Rachel made her way to first block, plopping down in her front row center desk. It went by normally. She hit in the back with half a dozen spitballs, and she was in the bathroom for ten minutes after class, picking paper out of her hair. She exited the bathroom, late for class yet again. Ugh, sometimes she hated her life.

"You missed a piece." Gentle fingers pushed through her hair, pulling out the last little bit of paper. She whipped around dramatically to see who dared touch her, let alone her hair.

"Oh." It was him. It was Kurt. "Kurt. Why aren't you in class?"

He wrinkled his nose, adjusting the weight of his messenger bag on his shoulder. "I had to go to the bathroom."

She raised one perfect eyebrow at him. "Couldn't you do that between classes?"

"There are people in there between classes."

"Oh." She understood.

They stared at each other awkwardly for a few moments, well, Rachel stared at him and Kurt looked tactfully past her.

"I need to get to class," Kurt told her, finally making eye contact. "You do too, princess. The whole world won't stop for you."

"Right, right," she mumbled, brushing past him. He flinched away from the contact, even though it had just been her sleeve, and she noticed. Rachel paused, turning half way to look at Kurt, who was quickly composing himself. She reached out, tentatively brushing the tips of her fingers against the back of his hand. He ripped away from her, storming a few steps away, his face red.

"Don't touch me!" He growled, an icy fire in his eyes. She took a step back, not knowing if she was more offended or afraid. There was no one in the hallway but them. No one to stop him if he decided to _attack her_ or… or something.

"I'm sorry," she said quietly, not being able to rip her eyes away from him. She watched as he quickly calmed himself, letting out a breath of air.

"It's okay," he replied. "Just… don't. Don't touch me."

"Alright, I heard you the first time," she said sharply. Now that he was calm, _she_ was the one angry. Why was he so insecure? "It's not like I was going to hurt you or anything!"

"I know," he told her, shuffling his weight from foot to foot nervously.

She rolled her eyes. "I'm going to class now."

But he was already gone.

"Rachel! Rachel!" Mr. Schuester snapped his fingers in front of her face, trying to get her attention.

Rachel blinked. Huh? Oh that's right; Glee had started fifteen minutes ago. She glanced around to get her boundaries, only to find that she was center stage with the rest of the club staring at her, their expressions ranging from worried to smug.

Kurt looked smug. Very smug.

"What?" she managed to say, directing her attention to the older man, who sighed.

"You missed your entrance," Mr. S told her irritably. "For the _third_ time." He spoke again when she gave him a blank stare. "Are you alright, Rachel?"

"Of course I am," she snapped, crossing her arms. "Start it again."

He blinked, hoping back off the stage to his normal spot. "Alright, start it again."

She sung in perfectly, never missing a note. But it was hard, especially with Kurt's blue eyes on her back the whole time.

For the first time in her life, Rachel Berry had no idea what she wanted.


	6. Chapter 6

After Glee, Rachel spent a few moments backstage, trying to pull herself together. What was _wrong_ with her? She had never missed an entrance _once_, let alone three times in a row. She needed to get her head on straight! Kurt Hummel shouldn't mean this much to anyone. From what she had seen, he just wasn't worth it. Plus, he gave all signs of not swinging her way, so why should she bother? Not like there was even a chance for a relationship… a _relationship_?! What was she thinking? She was _Rachel Berry_, and she didn't need _anyone_ else. Especially not stupid stupid _Kurt Hummel_.

But what was his problem? Why did he keep staring at her? All of her previous thoughts were brushed to the side when she remembered his stunning blue eyes, focused solely on _her_. Why? What made her special? What attracted him to her and her to him? Whatever it was, she wanted no part of it.

Or did she? She wasn't sure. She wasn't sure of anything anymore.

But she was sure of one little thing. No matter how illogical it was, she enjoyed Kurt's company. She liked arguing with him. She liked how talking to him was like trying to break down a door. That was just the type of person she was. If a door didn't open, she busted right through. And this was difficult with Kurt, which might be why she was up to doing something so stupid.

Rachel rooted around in the desk in front of her for a pair of scissors. They were neatly hidden under a few tape measures, but soon she had them out. Soon she was slicing down the seam of her skirt. She wanted attention and she was going to get it. Quickly she stowed the scissors, knowing that he would appear any moment.

"What are you doing here?"

Ah, there it was. That perfect high pitched voice she had just been waiting to hear.

Rachel turned her head, big brown eyes wet. "Oh, Kurt, it's just the most _horrible_ thing!" she cried, adding a hiccup in for a good effect. "The seam on my skirt just ripped! I have no idea what happened!"

Kurt rolled his eyes. "I'm guessing you want my help?" he asked coldly, crossing his arms. She nodded. With a sigh he pulled out his sewing kit, and was kneeling by her before she even realized he had moved.

"Oh," she squeaked, covering her mouth with her hand. She still wasn't used to how quickly and quietly he moved. He glanced up at her.

"I know I didn't prick you," he mumbled, working the needle in and out in little invisible stitches. "I'm not a clumsy oaf like Mercedes."

This brought a laugh from Rachel. After the dress incident, the two girls openly despised each other. It was all in friendly competition though. "No, you didn't prick me. I'm just not used to how _quickly_ you move."

Kurt snorted. "I don't move that fast, you just don't pay attention."

She was noticing that he said that_ a lot_, and was starting to believe it herself.

"Almost done?" she asked impatiently, her foot tapping against the floor.

"No," Kurt replied with no emotion. She let out a sigh, glancing around before beginning to sing lightly under her breath.

"Don't go wasting you're emotion," she sang, attempting not to sway back and forth to the beat in her head. "Lay all your love on me."

She stopped as she felt the needle brush her leg. He didn't prick her, but had come close.

"What?" she whined, glancing down at him. "Do you not like Mamma Mia?"

He shook his head. "No, I love Mamma Mia."

"Oh," she replied, before going back to the song. "It was like shooting a sitting duck. A little small talk a smile and baby, I was stuck." Grah, now she just wanted to dance, but knew this wasn't the appropriate time. "I still don't know what you've done with me. A grown up woman should never fall so easily!" She got progressively louder as she sang, not noticing that Kurt was singing along with her as quietly as he could until she stopped.

"I feel a kind of fear when I don't have you near," he sang, glancing up at her with a smirk. "Unsatisfied, I break my pride. I beg you dear."

She blushed furiously, putting meaning into his words that probably weren't there. She looked away, crossing her arms.

"No more singing?" he asked smugly, concentrating on sewing up her skirt again. She blushed harder, still not looking at him. After a few moments he ripped the thread off with his teeth and stood up. "Done."

She looked down at her skirt before looking up at him. "Thanks, Kurt."

He shook his head. "Next time if you want my attention, just ask for it," he said simply. The color drained from her face as quickly as it had arrived.

"I… I have no idea what you're talking about!" she snapped, glaring at him. He rolled his eyes.

"You're so oblivious," he told her, crossing his arms. "I saw what you did. I was standing in the doorway the whole time you were there, you just never noticed."

She blushed furiously, at a loss for words. "I… You…"

Kurt chuckled, leaning forward and brushing his lips against her cheek so quickly she wasn't even sure what was happening. "Good bye, Rachel Berry. See you tomorrow."

This time she saw him walk away, her mouth still open in an astounded 'o'.


	7. Chapter 7

AN: Hey again, Link here. So, this was a really hard chapter. I can't move two of the fingers on my left hand, so it took me a lot longer than it should have to type out. Stupid dermatologist. Anywho, this chapter might be a little out of character for Kurt, but I think it's good. Please, R&R and enjoy.

***

Rachel's hand came up to touch her cheek. Did that really just happen? Did _Kurt Hummel_ just kiss her cheek? If he had, what did it mean? Friends, or something more? Did she even want it to be something more? She thought she liked Finn. She did like Finn, right?

Ugh, but Finn was so _normal_. He was easy to read, an open book. But Kurt was not. Kurt was _interesting_. Plus, they shared the same interests. If she ever dated Kurt (Dating _Kurt_? What was she even _thinking_?)she wouldn't have to worry about showing up at football games or changing who she was. Around Kurt, she could be her to the fullest extent.

No. That would never happen. She needed to just get on with her life. Stop even trying to talk to him, and go back to a Kurt free life.

But she knew this wasn't something she could ignore. That deep fluttery feeling in her stomach was unlike anything she had ever felt before.

Rachel Berry was oblivious, but she was in love.

---

The next day when Rachel opened the door to her house, she was met with an unpleasant surprise. Eggs. Raw eggs. Raw eggs being chucked at her. She screamed, her hands flying in front of her face as she was assaulted by food. She kept her eyes closed, but knew who did it. She could tell by their stupid laughter that it was the football team.

She dropped her arms, egg white running down her arm and hitting the porch. She looked down, pulling a yolk off her perfectly ironed white shirt with a disgusted look on her face. Ugh, she smelled like eggs. With a sigh she turned around, tears mixing with the slime on her face. Looks like she was going to have to take another shower.

---

Rachel was late for school. She ran towards the building, her heavy backpack slung over one shoulder. She reached for the door handle, her hand brushing against someone else's.

She let out a squeak, her hands flying to her mouth. She blushed a light pink, barely visible behind her make up. "Kurt!"

Kurt looked over, rolling his eyes. "Took you long enough, princess."

Guh… it took her a few moments to regain the ability to think. "You're late."

He raised an eyebrow at her. "You are too."

"Why? Why are you late?" she asked curiously, forcing her arm through the other strap of her backpack. "Did you get egged too?"

"They egged you?" Kurt replied. She noticed that his hand clenched into a fist at his side, and this made her heart jump.

She nodded slightly, eyes wide. "What'd they do to you?"

"They nailed all my doors shut. I had to climb out a window," he said simply, as if it was an everyday thing. "My dad was ticked."

"Mine were too," Rachel told him with another nod. "And that's just _horrid_. I can't believe people treat you like that!"

Kurt sighed. "I can't believe they treat you like that either." He paused long enough to smile at her. "Never mind, I can."

She blushed, spluttering for words but finding none. "What are we doing, Kurt?" she asked quietly, her eyes never leaving his.

He refused to look at her anymore, and when he spoke his tone was sharp. "_We_ aren't doing anything. There is no _we_. _I'm _going to class."

And with that he stormed off, leaving one very confused and very angry Rachel.

---

They didn't see each other again until lunch. Rachel walked over to the table he was sitting at, slamming her tray down in front of him with a bang. He didn't even look up.

"Bit dramatic, aren't we?" he said, his fork pushing around the lettuce of his salad. She sat down across from him without a word, ripping over a packet of ketchup for her fries. When she didn't respond, he looked up at her. "You do realize I'm here, right, princess?"

She let out an impatient sigh. "Of course. I'm sitting her because of you."

"Oh wow, I feel special," he remarked sarcastically, his eyes going back down to the mix of raw vegetables his was picking through.

She rolled her eyes. "Are you not happy to see me?"

Kurt snorted. "Why would I be?"

Rachel blinked. Maybe she had imagined it all. Maybe she had imagined him kissing her cheek yesterday and their hands brushing this morning. "I thought you enjoyed my company."

"I do. Sometimes, when you're being particularly amusing."

"That's all this is for? Your amusement?" she spat, her hand clenching around a French fry, smashing it between her fingers.

"I don't know what you're talking about," Kurt informed her dully, crunching on a slice of radish. She stared at him. Was she going crazy?

"But… yesterday…," she mumbled. She looked down at her plate, missing the way his face reddened.

"I wasn't thinking," he said quickly. "I shouldn't…. shouldn't have done that."

She looked up at him, their eyes locking. "Why?"

He studied her for a moment. "I don't need any more confusion in my life, Rachel."

"Why would it… oh…"

He nodded ever so slightly, and it was obvious he was uncomfortable with the subject.

"I've never been with anyone," Rachel told him. "I wouldn't know if you were doing something wrong."

Kurt shook his head. "I've never even thought about dating a girl until yesterday, Rachel." He smiled shyly at her before looking away. "But you do always get your way."

Her mouth fell open. "So you _are_…" she trailed off, not wanting to finish. He gave her a curt nod.

"So you can see why I'm… ah… confused," he told her, blue eyes going back to her.

"What do we have to lose?" she asked, taking a chance and placing her hand lightly over his. He didn't pull away, but it was clear he was uncomfortable. "If it doesn't work it doesn't work."

He nodded ever so slightly. "I hate to say this, but for once I think you're right."


	8. Chapter 8

Kurt didn't have any classes with Rachel, so he was very glad when the lunch bell rang and he finally got some time to himself to think. But he did have classes with someone else, someone he only talked to briefly about fashion and new clothing.

"What was _that_ all about?!" Mercedes asked him, slamming her stuff down in the desk beside him and sitting down with an over dramatic huff.

Kurt glanced over at her, eyes widening. Oh… people had seen that? Oh crap… "What was what?" he replied, tone bored.

She rolled her eyes. "Boy, you know what I'm talking about."

"First of all, don't you _dare_ address me like that ever again," he hissed. "Secondly, you should mind your own freaking business!"

Kurt stood up, almost knocking his chair over, and stormed to the other side of the room. Guh! What was up with that? Why would Mercedes care what he was doing? He wished that everyone would just leave him alone for one moment and let him _think_!

He huffed as he sat down in as desk in the back, as far away from the girl as he could get. There. That was better. Much better.

Three hours later Kurt was watching the second hand on the clock tick around to the twelve, his expression blank. Five, four, three, two, one. The bell let out a satisfied ring and every chair in the class room scooted back as the students stormed out. For once he was the first one out. He stood casually outside the doorway of one of the English classrooms, watching the people who flooded out the door.

"Rachel," he called quietly, voice barely at regular speaking level. Her head whipped around. She looked like she had been expecting to hear his voice, longing maybe…. Oh crap, was she that obsessed with him already? But she looked surprised too… so that was good.

"Kurt?" she squeaked, moving over to him. Her step was light, bouncy, like a dance. He had never noticed.

"That would be me," he replied. For once his tone wasn't sharp. It sounded like he had given up and he looked tired. "Do you want me to take you home?"

Rachel blinked, mouth falling open. She had her permit, but was a horrible, horrible driver, so her dads had never let her take her test. She knew that Kurt had his license already, and a very pretty, brand new Ford Explorer. He yelled at people for even _looking_ at his new SUV.

"Er… um… sure?" Rachel mumbled, eyes still wide. She felt very warm inside. She was going to spend time with Kurt. Completely alone, with no one but Kurt.

He raised one perfectly sculpted eyebrow at her. "You don't have too," he told her. "I just thought I'd be nice."

"You? Nice?" She giggled, lightly taking him by the elbow and leading him out of the school. He jerked away after a moment but she didn't care. "I didn't realize that _Kurt Hummel_ had an ounce of nice in him."

He smiled for all of a second, which was a long time for him. "I used to think the same."

She blushed some as he opened the door for her. People were staring!

"Please," Kurt snorted. "I wasn't being chivalrous. I just didn't want your oily little fingers running the paint."

Rachel huffed, looking more than a little offended. He just chuckled, closing the door and joining her in the vehicle moments later.

"That wasn't very polite," she informed him, seat belt buckled and arms crossed. "Don't say things like that to me."

"Making the rules already, princess?" he smirked, starting up the vehicle and pulling away from the school. He knew where she lived already, and she didn't even ask why. "Do you really think you're going to be able to order me around like that?"

She was blushing heavily now. "No... I guess not," she muttered.

Kurt nodded his head some. That was good.

Rachel was quiet for a few moments, but she couldn't go any longer without talking. "Why are you really taking me home?" she asked curiously, shifting around so she could comfortably look at him.

He glanced over at her for the slightest of moments. "It seemed like a proper thing to do."

She nodded absently. "It was. Good job."

He sighed. "I'm gay, not stupid."

"I know that," she huffed, playing with the hem of her shirt. She repeated it a little softer. "I know that."

Kurt took a deep breath, reaching over and touching her hand lightly. "It's okay. I'm not mad."

"Good. I'm not either," she replied, staring down at his hand. Mm, this feeling she was getting definitely wasn't good if this wasn't going anywhere. His fingers played down the back of her hand, but he pulled away hastily, looking embarrassed. She giggled some.

"Shut up," he demanded, face red. Her mouth closed into a thin smile as she held in her laughter. He could be so entertaining sometimes.

They arrived at her house then. She quickly unbuckled, hopping out of the SUV. "Thanks Kurt," she chirped while grabbing her things.

"Mhm," Kurt hummed, watching her impatiently. "See you tomorrow?"

"I'll probably see _you_ in the dumpster," she giggled, grinning at him.

He rolled his eyes. "Get away from my car."

She waved at him. "Good bye to you too, Kurt Hummel.


	9. Chapter 9

The next day Rachel wasn't sure what to think. She didn't know if things had been real the day before, or if Kurt was just being charitable. Maybe he wasn't implying anything. Maybe he was just trying to be respectful, or maybe she had just imagined the whole ordeal. She hoped not. She wanted this to be real.

She arrived to school promptly, heading straight inside to her first block. She didn't make it all the way in before she was tugged to the side, soft hands on her cashmere sweater. Her eyes got huge and she opened her mouth to protest, but was interrupted.

"It's me," Kurt hummed, leading her around the side of the building.

"So I noticed," Rachel huffed, not tugging away from him. "What do you think you're doing?"

"Getting you out of that horrible sweater! We don't match at all!"

She blinked. Match? "Sorry? I didn't get the memo I guess."

Kurt shook his head. "It's okay. I've got it."

"Well aren't you just Miss Congeniality today," Rachel giggled. Kurt didn't even react.

"I thought you'd have more creative insults than that," he said, leading her into an empty girl's bathroom.

"I might if I thought about it," she replied, not bothered at all. "So what do you want me to wear?"

Kurt handed her the new outfit. He had a diligence to fashion. His favorite channels consisted of Style and E! and he enthusiastically followed every fashion guide line set down by Stacy London and Clinton Kelly.

"This is a little short," Rachel mumbled, studying the green and blue plaid pleated skirt. But it did go well with her long socks and flats.

"Just put it on. With the blue button up sweater," Kurt replied, flashing her a seemingly genuine smile. "Then we'll match."

Rachel went into the biggest stall and quickly changed her clothes. Ugh. This was just inhumane! It was so short!

She came out, pulling at the fabric uncomfortably.

"Come on," Kurt huffed, putting a hand on his hip. He found her nervousness humorous. "It's just a few inches above your knee."

"A few inches? What about a few _feet_?"

Kurt snorted. "You only wish your legs were that long. Then you might actually be attractive."

"How rude!" Rachel huffed, stomping her foot. "What did I tell you about saying things like that?"

"What did I tell you about telling me what to do?" Kurt shot back.

Rachel rolled her eyes. "Just hurry up or I'm going to be late."

Kurt raised a brow. "Are you ready to be away from me?"

"Yes," she murmured, glancing away from him for a moment.

"Don't you dare lie to me, Rachel Berry," Kurt snapped. He had more insight than she gave him credit for. He wasn't dense. Given the chance, he could be quite intelligent.

"I'm just being practical," she replied, her tone hard.

"I'm not some stupid football playing buffoon. I _know _Rachel. I _know_." He was brilliant. He just couldn't help it.

"What? What do you think you know?" Rachel demanded, her hands on her hips now. They glared at each other, diva versus diva.

"I don't mean to be a braggart, but I know that you're… that you're…" He really didn't want to say it!

Rachel snorted. "No. I'm rational. I'm not in love with you."

"Well good. You shouldn't be in love with me. I prohibit it. It's utterly impossible."

"You can't forbid love," Rachel snorted. "You can't stop things like that."

"I don't believe in love," Kurt said simply. "It's stupid. " A painful emotion fabricated by the media. Horrible horrible horrible.

"What? Stop being eccentric!"

"Me being eccentric? You're the most eccentric person on the planet!" Kurt spat, storming out of the bathroom.

"Hey! You can't walk out on me like that!" Rachel yelled, hurrying after him. She didn't like the way her heart dropped to the bottom of her stomach. She needed reassurance. Did Kurt really mean what he said? She hoped not!

"I believe I just did," Kurt replied, before disappearing in the school hallways, bustling with students like the metropolitan streets bustled with people.

The two didn't see each other again until Glee. Kurt walked in to Rachel talking to Finn about his relationship with his girlfriend.

"No. We don't do anything. She belongs in a monastery," Finn told the girl, shaking his head despairingly. Rachel let out a flirty little giggle, fluffing her hair when she saw Kurt walk by. His face flushed with anger. Guh. Why was he letting this get to him?

"What's up with you?" an unassuming Mercedes asked when Kurt accidently bumped into her.

"Nothing. I'm just tired of Finn talking about his stupid cheerleader girlfriend."

"Oh, I concur," Mercedes said with a little hum. "Rachel's really trying to get her some of that. I mean it's so obvious."

Kurt glanced over at them. Rachel was still being outrageously flirty and Finn was beginning to catch on. He was a guy after all. Mercedes' people senses were acute, but Kurt knew it wasn't real… or at least he hoped it wasn't real. Wait, he cared about Rachel and Finn being together? Well of course he did… Finn was amazingly attractive.

Mercedes looked at him. "Whatever you're thinking, I can tell it needs to stop."

"Thanks," Kurt huffed, crossing his arms. "That was polite."

"I thought I'd be frank. Get to the gist of it." She had a reputation of being that way. She didn't like imposters, or people that were fake. Kurt was beginning to wonder if he was one of those people. He just needed to be incisive and figure out what he wanted. Whatever he wanted he would get. That was the Hummel way.

The two watched as Finn and Rachel sang together. Both rolled their eyes.

"She thinks she's a prodigy," Mercedes huffed. "I'm better than her."

"You are," Kurt replied, though he was really thinking about how he could make amends with the girl. If she really was… that word… with him, then it should be simple, right?

Over the next couple of days Kurt vigilantly tried to talk to her, but every time he approached she immediately went mute and walked away. Dang it.

On Friday he finally managed to catch her under the eave right outside the school. It was raining extremely hard. People were cramming onto buses and into cars trying to get home, the place they saw as safety. Glee had been canceled since the weather was only supposed to get worse.

"Rachel," Kurt said. "Do you want me to take you home?"

She finally graced him with a look. "That would be very chivalrous of you."

Kurt didn't show any emotion, though he was actually brimming with excitement that he didn't have to be inventive or witty to get her to talk to him. His girl savvy was enough to get him through anything.

He led her through the sopping parking lot, his clear plastic raincoat keeping the rain off of him, though he shared his umbrella with Rachel. His hair got kind of wet and it ticked him off, but he didn't show it. He was good at hiding emotions. Learning to do so had been one of the major landmarks in his life.

He didn't speak to her until they were both safe and dry in his SUV.

"You aren't very judicious," Kurt hummed, smiling at her as he started the car.

"I'm very judicious," Rachel replied, her hands neatly folded on her crossed legs. "You just can't get it through that spacious head of yours."

Kurt rolled his eyes. "Stop acting like a sage."

"Just shut up and drive."

"Don't you dare tell me what to do!" Kurt said sharply, already heading towards her house. They both huffed and didn't say anything for the rest of the drive.

When Kurt pulled into her driveway Rachel looked over at him uncertainly. "You want to come in?" she asked.

Kurt blinked. "What about your parental figures?" He really did _not_ want to deal with that. Not now and not _ever_.

"They're not home yet," Rachel told him. "You should come in."

Kurt shrugged. "All right."

She led him into her suburban bungalow, through the front hall and past the vestibule, into the little cavern that was her room. Her house was clean, unlike the labyrinth that Kurt was forced into. His father was a mechanic. He tried to clean up as much as you could but it was just darn near impossible. It was okay though, Kurt was used to the maze. He had even gotten to where he could avoid the hidden kitchen peninsula.

"This is nice," he hummed, taking in the amount of pink and gold stars.

Rachel smiled, putting down her school stuff. "Thanks. Its home."

Kurt nodded. "No need to narrate."

Rachel stretched lightly. It felt good to be home. She didn't have to worry about anything here. "So… thanks. For the ride."

"No problem," Kurt replied, wondering if she was going to interrogate him on why he did it. But she didn't and he silently thanked her for staying quiet. "Have you lived here your whole life?"

"Yeah…"

He could see her about to begin an anecdote, so he interrupted. "I better go."

She blinked. "Oh… okay. Are you sure?"

He knew she wanted him to say no, but he knew if he did he was signing his admission to the asylum. "Yeah, I'm sure." He managed a smile. "It was nice to see you in your natural habitat."

"It was nice to see our relationship germinate," Rachel giggled.

Kurt tried not to laugh. "I'm glad you see me as a seedling."

"Better than seeing you as a stupid snotty pretty boy."

Kurt rolled his eyes. "Whatever. I'll call you."

Rachel seemed pleased. "Really?"

"I aver. Really. This time you're going to get the memo. We'll look cute."

"Talk to you later then!"

Kurt left quickly, smelling the gas fire burning in the hearth. Ugh. He couldn't live with that smell. It would get in all his clothes.

Five minutes later he was scouring his house for his father. He needed counsel and he didn't have anyone else. He had no idea what all this emotion was or what to do with it.

"Dad?" he called nervously, searching around. Nope. He was still at the depot picking up supplies. He sat down on the couch with a sigh, staring at the two pictures above the fireplace. One was of a huge ship, a galley, docked neatly at a quay, the gentle water of the lagoon lapping around its hull. The other one was just a plateau. That was it. But it had been his mother's favorite photograph, and now it was Kurt's. He missed her. He missed his mother. If that quack of a doctor had only found the cancer sooner…. But no. There was no more negotiation. No more thought about it. His mother was gone forever.

Kurt sat there by himself for a while, wishing his life could be as simple as the plateau. It would always be a plateau. But people changed. And he didn't like change. It rattled around in his coin purse and made his bag all heavy… what a pun.


End file.
